“Ever been to Italy?”

“Uh, no.”

“Wanna go?” He offers me that cocky side grin, the one that used to make me roll my eyes, and I laugh.

“Yes, Will, I want to go to Italy.” I shake my head and take a sip of champagne.

“Okay,” he shrugs and grabs the pen, writes down his name and a very, very large sum of money to place his bid.

“Holy shit!” I whisper to him.

“What?” His eyes are wide, brows raised. “You said you want to go.”

“Well, of course I want to, Will, but I didn’t think you’d actually bid on it.”

“You confuse me,” he frowns down at me. “If you want to go to Italy, I’ll take you.”

“Just like that?” I ask.

“Just like that.” He places a chaste kiss on my lips and guides me down to the next item up for auction. We come to a signed jersey of Will’s and I gasp.

“When did you donate this?”

He shrugs and looks down at the bids, then smirks. “I don’t know, not long after they sent the invitation. Some idiot has bid ten grand on this thing already.”

“I wonder how much I could get for the ones I sleep in on eBay?” I ponder, taking a sip of my champagne, making Will laugh.

“Gonna start selling all my shit now?” he asks and leads me out of the room. He’s bid on the trip to Italy, a weekend in Mexico, and another week in Hawaii. Apparently he plans to travel a lot this year.

“Maybe,” I shrug. “Could be a good side business.”

“Now I’m just a side business. You wound me, babe.”

He leads me laughing out into the main ballroom where there is a band playing classic hits, like It Had To Be You and Fly Away and Will sweeps me into his arms and across the dance floor, holding me close, looking down into my eyes.

Wow, he’s a good dancer.

“You move very well,” I remark. He just shrugs and smiles and pulls me closer.

“You fit well, right here.”

“Hmm,” I agree and smile up at him, lost in his blue eyes. It’s as though we’re the only two in the room. “This is fun.”

“Do you know any of the people here from the hospital?” he asks.

“No,” I shake my head and look around. “I know some of the faces, but these people are way above my pay grade.”

“You do look beautiful tonight,” Will murmurs.

“Thank you. So do you.”

“I hate dressing up,” he grins and shrugs. “But if I get to have you with me looking like this, it’s worth it.”

“Cheeky bastard,” I mutter and kiss his chest through his white shirt.

“Ladies and gentleman,” An older man takes the stage, looking distinguished in his formal tux, gray hair slicked back. “Before we wrap things up for the night, I want to announce the winners of the silent auction.”

We stop where we are on the dance floor, arms wrapped around each other, and listen to Mr. Richards, the CEO of Children’s read the highest bidders. The winners whoop and applaud excitedly. When he gets to the trip to Italy, he announces Will’s name.

“Holy crap!” I look up at him with wide eyes, and he winks down at me.

“Looks like we’re going to Italy in the spring,” he says with a grin.

We’re going to Italy in the spring!

Will also wins the weekend in Mexico, but the week in Hawaii goes to another of his teammates.

“Thank you, everyone for bidding,” Mr. Richards continues. “And, it’s my honor to announce that you have raised more than three million dollars tonight for our hospital.”

The room erupts in applause and I can’t help the wide grin on my face. This is fantastic! Oh, the things we can do with that money.

Will is smiling down at me, enjoying my reaction. “I think this just became an annual event for us,” he murmurs.

I look up in surprise. He’s plans on being with me in a year!

“Are you ready to get out of here?” He asks.

“Yes.” His eyes heat. He takes my hand in his, laces our fingers and leads me to the doors. “Don’t you have to say goodbye to some people?”

“No.”

“Why are you suddenly in such a hurry?” I ask with a breathless laugh.

He stops and turns to me, pulling me against his hard body, and leans down so he can whisper in my ear, “I’m in a hurry to get you home, out of this sexy as fuck dress, and bury myself in you for the better part of the night. Is that okay with you?”

“Um, yeah. That works.”

He leads me out to the valet, hands the man his ticket and we’re quiet while we wait for the car.

“What are you humming?” Will asks.

“I was humming?”

“Yeah, what was it?”

“I didn’t realize I was.” I shake my head and smile up at him. “It was probably the song Jules asked me to sing at the reception.”

“You’re singing at the reception?” His eyebrows climb into his hairline in surprise.

“Yeah, she begged. It was embarrassing. I put her out of her misery.” I wave him off and laugh. “It’s hard to tell her no when she gives me shoes like these.” I pull my skirt up so he can see my amazing Louboutins.

“Dear God, those have been under there all night?”

“Yep,” I smile smugly.

“What else do you have under there?”

I purse my lips and tilt my head like I’m thinking really, really hard. “It’s hard to remember. I’m prone to amnesia these days.”

The valet pulls up with the car, and Will holds the passenger door open for me, then hops in and takes off toward home.

God, I effing love this car.

I reach over and untie his bowtie, letting it hang onto his chest, and unbutton the top two buttons of his shirt.

“Thank you,” he sighs. “Damn monkey suit.”

“You look hot in that monkey suit,” I remind him.

He grins over at me, then lets his eyes wander down my dress. “That dress is perfect on you.”

“I’m surprised Jules had something that fits me so well. She and I are built differently.”

“She just probably hadn’t had time to have it tailored yet,” he shrugs. He’s probably right.

And I decide to play with him.

“Gosh, it’s hot in here,” I say innocently, my eyes wide, and start hiking my skirt up with my fingers, pulling it until it’s gathered around my thighs, just above where my blush-colored thigh-highs attach to the matching garter.